


As the morning sky blacks out

by orphan_account



Category: The Long Walk (Stephen King)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 03:58:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He walks until he sees them again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As the morning sky blacks out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [buftie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/buftie/gifts).



He walks until he sees them again.

The crowds dissipate, the screams and cheers disappear, the sun vanishes into a grey haze. It feels like walking in fog, only not. Garraty thinks he should be confused, worried even - this isn't the world he has come to know over the past few days (gods, it feels like years), but it doesn't seem to matter. He thinks he belongs here.

Stebbins is first. Garraty smiles when he sees him, and Stebbins acknowledges him with a slight nod, then points to a figure in front of them, a few steps away.

Garraty is lost for words when McVries turns around and walks a few steps backwards, then slows down enough to let the two of them catch up with him. None of them say anything; they simply fall in line with each other. There's no need for words anymore.

They keep walking, Garraty keeps walking.

The rest join them. Some fall in line, others walk a few steps in front, others a few steps behind. But they're all there. Garraty sees them, and he feels little stings of joy, of pain. There's Baker and Abraham, Collie Parker and Scramm, Mike and Joe, Olson, even Barkovitch. There are the boys that Garraty never got to know, never will get to know; they are merely nameless faces in the midst of the ones he can put names to. He wishes he knew them, wishes he could get to know them.

Garraty knows he can't, knows that there are no more questions and answers, no more explanations, no more fear and doubt. All there is, is walking.

He walks among shadows, but he doesn't mind, because he's a shadow as well. Just one among many. Another fleck of grey in a sea of others; the familiar ones close to him, but Garraty can see others as well. Young boys, just like them, with the same world-weary expressions on their faces, all of them walking, walking. Somehow, none of them slow their pace, change their path, or lie down, even if they're not supervised anymore. Garraty looks for the soldiers, but he can't see any, can't see anything but grayness and the pale faces of boys.

McVries is beside him, always. Stebbins is on his other side, and their presence is comforting. Keeps him from forgetting himself, keeps him from forgetting who he is and why he's here.

He walks. The years feel like days, hours, minutes, mere seconds. The scenery never changes, never varies. The weather stays the same. The people stay the same. Garraty stays the same; he can't feel any pain anymore. Can't even feel his feet, nor his legs. He's not sure he feels anything at all; he just walks. He walks because there's nothing else to do; he walks because his only friends are walking with him, walks because he doesn't know how not to anymore.

Garraty walks. He walks until he sees Jan again, until she's with him, the only spot of sunshine and light in his grey world.


End file.
